What to do in Parks – Bushwalking
Bushwalking through Julimar Forest on the Pilgrim Trail. Photo:L-A Shibish
You can go hiking, rambling, trekking and tramping in our parks, but we don’t use those terms. In Australia it’s called bushwalking and it includes everything from short walks on flat, well-formed tracks to multi-day expeditions that should only be attempted by the fit, experienced and skilled.
Western Australia is huge and at around twice the size of Western Europe, it offers amazing opportunities to explore on foot. Established bushwalking trails give you the chance to discover yourself and explore local culture, jaw-dropping outback landscapes, old growth forests, pristine white beaches, wildflower meadows, and stunning ancient red gorges.
A family bushwalk at Big Brook Dam, Pemberton. Photo: L-A Shibish
Bushwalking trails are listed on TrailsWA, which is a comprehensive collection of information on locations, directions, safety tips, and amenities near-by.
There are also many WA bushwalking clubs to help you get started and to provide company and support:
- Bushwalking WA
- Action Outdoors Association
- Albany Bushwalkers
- Bunbury Adventure Pursuits Club
- Bunbury Bushwalking Club
- Bushwalkers of Western Australia
- Great Walk Networking
- Hiking Club of WA
- Perth Bushwalkers Club
- WA Family Bushwalking Club
- WA Wanderers Mens Bushwalking
- Western Walking Club
Many of the trails, including the world-class Bibbulmun Track and the renowned Cape to Cape Track, are easiest to travel to from Perth. North of Perth, the distances are vast and the scenery spectacular as you walk through gorges, climb the world’s largest rock (Mt Augusta) or discover Aboriginal rock art. In the far north, there is some excellent walking in the tropics at the Bungle Bungle Range and also in the vast Kimberley region.
The easiest way to access the far North is through organised tours, which are popular with many walkers.
